Laura Prudom2015-03-31T14:14:45-04:00Laura Prudomhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=laura-prudomCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Laura PrudomGood old fashioned elbow grease.Training 'Quick Draw' On Hulu: Saloon Or Apothecary, Who Can Tell? (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2014-08-21T17:22:26-04:002014-08-21T17:59:05-04:00Laura Prudomhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/
The half-hour procedural comedy follows Harvard-educated Sheriff John Henry Hoyle (Lehr) and his reluctant Deputy Eli (Brown) as they hunt down robbers, murderers and the dangerous James Younger gang that terrorized Kansas for years (true story), as Sheriff Hoyle attempts to introduce forensics to the Wild West. Though the citizens of Great Bend are generally unimpressed with Hoyle's educational pedigree and penchant for forensic science, they come to appreciate his sharp mind and sharper shooting.

Four episodes are already streaming on Hulu and Hulu Plus, with new installments posted every Monday. In the above clip from the fifth episode, which goes live on August 25, Sheriff Hoyle has closed the local saloon, but the inhabitants of Great Bend have another cunning method of getting their "shots."

Have you been watching any of Hulu's original series? Will you give "Quick Draw" a shot?]]>'The Tomorrow People': Peyton List Previews Cara's Backstory In 'Girl, Interrupted'tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-10-23T08:54:56-04:002013-10-23T08:55:00-04:00Laura Prudomhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/Tomorrow People" (Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET) will finally start to shed some light on the enigmatic members of the titular group, starting with Peyton List's Cara.

While we know that the guarded ass-kicker is romantically involved with the team's leader John (Luke Mitchell) and was responsible for bringing newcomer Stephen (Robbie Amell) into the fold, that's pretty much all we know about her. That's about to change with "Girl, Interrupted," a gripping and surprisingly emotional hour that will explain why Cara is so wary of getting involved with humans.

HuffPost TV caught up with List to discuss Cara's meaty backstory and what's ahead in terms of her chemistry with Stephen -- read on for more.

What can you preview about this week's episode?
This is the first time we start our storytelling flashing back, going into the pasts of the people in the subway that we've met. We're going to do that quite a bit this season with different characters, but we start with Cara's character. We won't really necessarily stick to any specific time frame, we sort of jump around within it. It was a really fun episode for us to shoot because we didn't know anything about it until we got the script.

It's an intense look into Cara's backstory -- what was your first reaction when you read about her past?
I think my jaw was on the floor. I actually needed some time to process it after I read it -- I was on a plane and I just sat in my seat for a while in silence. I knew that it was going to be, in terms of production, a very big episode. We're going backwards in time, so you're aging down. Also, my situation as a person, I knew I would have to be in coaching. I was just very, very excited and kind of terrified at the same time. It moved so quickly. I was mostly just excited by that.

Cara's pretty adamant that the Tomorrow People shouldn't use their powers to interfere in the lives of humans, and we discover that she actually hates humans in a lot of ways. Is it as black and white as thinking that none of them deserve to be saved, for her?
I think because of her circumstances, she's in a very dark place in this episode. Her past tends to haunt her around a specific time of year. You can definitely see that she's capable of having a dark side. In a lot of her decisions, I think out of necessity, she goes to black and white, because they don't know a lot of answers to things. To commit to a decision, they have to make things black and white for themselves. We see throughout the episode that [something] reminds her about humanity and reminds her about things not being so black and white. I think all of us struggle to make sense of things. What is an emotional decision and what's a rational decision? I think she's struggling through a lot of that in this episode.

At one point in the episode, Cara gets overwhelmed and her powers momentarily stop working -- are those problems limited to this time of year when she's stressed, or is it going to keep happening to her
We're basically establishing that these "episodes" that happen when you get overwhelmed are just when you are not in control of yourself, maybe your mind is elsewhere. It easily happens this time of year for her because her mind is scattered. But it is something that we open up as being able to happen to any of them if they let go of their control. We establish that with the breakouts as well. When people are just getting their powers, they're not in control and these specific things happen to them. They make things move that they don't want to move. They teleport somewhere when they don't want to teleport. There is this part of the mythology that you do have to have some sense of control over them in order for them not to spin out of control.

Stephen obviously has a bit of a crush on Cara -- will we see that start to come to the forefront in upcoming episodes?
We will see it. We see it grow relatively quickly. [But] the force behind the show is the action and the high-stakes world -- there isn't a whole lot of time where you can let your guard down and deal with things like romance, when all these things are potentially crashing down around you. We do have romantic relationships but ... we push it to the side when we have to deal with the task at hand. I think that's sort of true to life as well.

Next week's episode deals with John's (Luke Mitchell) backstory. What can you tease about that plot?
It is pretty epic. It's probably one of the most action-packed episodes we've had, including the pilot. There's a lot of story, a lot of big twists and a lot of action. We have incredible guest stars. It's, for sure, one you don't want to miss.

"The Tomorrow People" airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.

Are you looking forward to Cara's backstory? Why do you think she's so mistrustful of humans?

]]>'Arrow': 'Broken Dolls' Sees Oliver In Laurel's Crosshairs As Black Canary Makes Her Movetag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-10-23T08:40:32-04:002013-10-23T08:40:40-04:00Laura Prudomhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/Arrow" (Wed., Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW) is titled "Broken Dolls," and judging by the cliffhanger at the end of "Identity," things are likely going to get very messy in Starling City in tonight's installment.

We last saw the Arrow (Stephen Amell) surrounded by an entire SWAT team after walking into a trap set by Laurel (Katie Cassidy), and during a recent interview, Amell teased that when the episode begins, "there is no cut, it’s the same scene, and it actually picks up with all the guns on Oliver, and him lowering his bow. That's his only move."

Oliver is now caught between a rock and a hard place, eager to make Starling City safer as the vigilante, but clearly still in love with Laurel, who now has a vendetta against his crime-fighting alter-ego in the wake of Tommy's (Colin Donnell) death.

Amell admitted that things will come to a head between Laurel and the vigilante fairly soon: "We do resolve Laurel’s mission against the vigilante relatively early in the season, and this is something that Oliver says in the second episode -- and it’s to a different character, but it rings true all over the place -- that he’s willing to take these slings and arrows, no pun intended, as long as the city is becoming safer," he previewed. "I’m sure that he doesn’t enjoy Laurel hunting the vigilante, but he’s more concerned that she’s not doing it to cover up something else that’s bothering her."

Laurel will soon have other masked priorities, namely the Black Canary (Caity Lotz), who was first spotted by Roy (Colton Haynes) at the end of the season premiere. Comic book fans may know that Black Canary is Dinah "Laurel" Lance's costumed alter-ego in the DC Universe, leading some to wonder how the two can be separate people on the show.

Executive producer Andrew Kreisberg promised that all will be revealed in due time, hinting that fans should expect Laurel and the Canary to come face-to-face "sooner than people realize. We have a really great story arc for the Black Canary and Laurel that we’re super excited for people to jump on board that ride, because it’s really just the beginning," he said. "The show is about Green Arrow, but the Oliver that we met in the pilot wasn’t anywhere near being the Green Arrow, and still isn’t. And the same with Black Canary. So it’s really the beginning of the Black Canary story, and she will begin to emerge as the season progresses."

Haynes said that the Black Canary will soon become "a main focal point" for both Roy and Laurel in upcoming episodes. "[Roy] knows that there's other [vigilantes] and he has a great scene in Episode 2 with Laurel, saying, 'you guys think you know everything, but I'm actually in the thick of it and I know what the deal is.' He says 'I've seen her,' and once we find out who the Black Canary is, it's going to really pique [Laurel's] interest."

In "Identity," Roy came one step closer to forging the kind of alliance with Arrow that he's been working towards since first encountering the vigilante in Season 1, but don't expect him to pick up a bow and become Oliver's sidekick any time soon.

"Oliver’s certainly getting better at working with people, and if Roy is going to just keep going after people in the Glades, then at the very least, Oliver can try to control him a little bit, and there is something admirable about what he’s doing," Amell noted. "I’m sure that Oliver sees a little bit of himself in Roy -- overeager, irresponsible, but again, there’s something admirable about that. So this is a good way to control him, but I don’t think there’s been any consideration of revealing myself, or making him part of the team. If this makes him happy, then that’s good."

While Haynes admitted that Roy "starts to resent Oliver, in a way" for his lectures while he's out of costume and playing the protective older brother for Thea (Willa Holland), Roy currently doesn't have any suspicions about Oliver's secret identity. "But if you notice in their scenes together, Roy with the Arrow, they're so far apart, and as the episodes go, they get a little closer," he teased. "So towards the middle of the season, they could have a little conflict there."

Roy's not the only one on Oliver's trail -- his relationship with Oliver also stands to drag girlfriend Thea into the mix. "Thea's gonna find herself in a lot of trouble … it's funny, Roy's on a path trying to find The Hood, and now Thea's going to be trying to find out if Roy's lying to her or not. So it really creates an amazing dynamic between the three of them," Haynes hinted.

But don't expect Roy and Oliver's dynamic to stay static for long. According to Kreisberg, "their 'arrangement' is going to come to a head fairly soon. We’re never shy about burning through story, and Roy makes a good man on the street for a while, but you’ll see in Episodes Eight and Nine, their relationship comes to a head in a surprising, exciting way."

"Arrow" airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

Are you hoping Roy finds out Oliver's identity sooner rather than later? How do you think Laurel's vendetta against the vigilante will be resolved? Share your hopes and predictions below!

]]>'Supernatural' Recap: 'I'm No Angel' Sees Castiel Lose His Virginity And Ezekiel Issue An Ultimatumtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.41467242013-10-22T22:19:36-04:002013-12-22T05:12:01-05:00Laura Prudomhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/Spoiler Alert: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 9, Episode 3 of The CW's "Supernatural," titled "I'm No Angel."

This week's "Supernatural" made up for last week's lack of Castiel with a decidedly angel-centric hour, showing us exactly what our favorite wingless wonder was up to while the Winchesters were being tossed around by Abaddon last week. Sadly, that apparently included Castiel fighting for his life, sleeping on the streets and dumpster diving for food.

It was gut-wrenching to see Castiel left out in the rain with no one to turn to and nowhere to go for shelter, made all the more poignant because he made no complaints about his situation. He showed no disdain about eating from the trash or sleeping under a bridge as many of us might in similar circumstances, and that unassuming pragmatism made his plight seem even more unfair.

It helps that Misha Collins has always imbued Castiel with effortless humanity and vulnerability, and somehow seeing him out of his trusty trenchcoat made Cas seem even more fragile.

Collins was certainly the driving force of the episode, and Castiel was so awed by even the most basic human experiences that his scenes were as engaging as they were heartbreaking. There's something so magnetic about familiar characters evolving in such profound ways, especially when it comes to supernatural beings taking tentative steps towards humanity (something we'll hopefully see manifested in Crowley this season, too). Watching other characters respond to Castiel's weirdness in various ways, depending on their own circumstances, was also enlightening.

So far, the show is doing a good job of exploring the moral and logistical implications of Dean's choice to allow Ezekiel to possess Sam. "I'm No Angel" gave us a glimpse at just how difficult it will continue to be for Dean to keep Ezekiel's presence a secret from Sam, and hinted at the emotional toll that deception is already taking on him.

Jensen Ackles plays scenes with such nuance, even the most subtle shifts in expression can speak volumes about Dean's internal struggle, and this was perfectly demonstrated in the scenes in which he was forced to lie to Sam and Castiel about Ezekiel's various methods of problem-solving. Although Dean's response ("I did. I do that.") to Castiel's question about whether he lied to April was played for laughs with that familiar comedic music cue, the line itself was actually kind of heartbreaking, since it's obvious that Dean didn't want to lie to the two people he's closest to, but it's a situation he's sadly become familiar with.

While Jared Padalecki had less to do in terms of the story this week (except for playing Sam's growing confusion adorably), it was still fascinating to see him transitioning between Sam and Ezekiel so seamlessly. It must be challenging to have to bring out the shifting motivations of a character from within another character, but in Ezekiel's last scene with Dean especially, there was something decidedly off about the angel and his ultimatum to Dean. Compared to the last couple of episodes, Ezekiel certainly seemed more reticent when it came to assisting Castiel, and his admission that Castiel staying would put him in danger certainly indicated that there's a lot he's still not telling Dean, and, as hinted in the premiere, that he might be every bit as wanted by the angels as Castiel is.

Obviously, Castiel's Enochian warding was shielding him from the angels -- including Zeke -- and April admitted that she lucked into finding him, so there's no reason to believe that Castiel staying at the bunker would've attracted Bartholomew's posse as Zeke implied, especially given that the MOL bunker is also supposed to be warded. So is Zeke just twitchy about Castiel discovering that he's inside Sam for some reason, or is there another way for the angels to track one of them? Either way, forcing Dean to choose between Castiel and Sam put Zeke firmly on my naughty list, especially since Dean really had no choice but to evict Cas, unless he wanted Zeke to essentially take Sam off life support. Then again, Sam could now be healed enough to live on his own, for all we know, and the emotional blackmail could simply have been Zeke's way of staying cozy and effectively hidden from the angels inside Sam.

It was disappointing that the episode abruptly ended with Dean telling Castiel that he couldn't stay (talk about kicking someone when they're down), and I sincerely hope the next episode picks up right where this one left off, because I want to hear Dean's explanation for throwing Castiel back out on the streets, especially since it seems like Dean intends to keep Zeke a secret from him too. After fighting to reunite with Cas in Purgatory (and consequently guilt-tripping himself over the mistaken belief that he had abandoned him), let alone going on a wild goose chase to find him this week, Dean should be left feeling pretty rough about the decision to throw his friend to the wolves -- anything less will feel like character assassination. If they find Cas a secret hideout to hole up in next week, no harm done, but if he's homeless and vulnerable again, that's just sloppy writing. Since next week's episode seems designed as more of a comedic standalone, let's hope those story threads carry over.

Although the episode's character beats were engaging, other parts of "I'm No Angel" rang false. Since when can Reapers possess humans, as the one inside April apparently did? I recall Reapers being able to make themselves look like whatever they want, but unless I missed something, there was never any need for them to inhabit human vessels, right? And while I understand Castiel being overcome with lust now that he finally has the full array of human emotions bouncing around inside him, it felt unnecessarily creepy to have a Reaper taking advantage of him sexually in the process of gathering information. Was that really a necessary plot point, when simply tying him up and torturing him would've been more expeditious?

As for Bartholomew -- using an overzealous televangelist was a smart way for angels to procure willing vessels fast, and Adam Harrington was suitably intimidating as Naomi's protege, but those scenes didn't land for me. I know angels are supposed to be a little socially awkward, but somewhere between the writing and the casting, Bartholomew's henchmen came across as clunky and wooden, which took me out of the narrative. Hopefully different actors or snappier writing will made any future appearances a little more compelling. I felt that the dialogue in "I'm No Angel" fell flat overall, made more noticeable by the guest stars, but the three leads once again capably elevated the material.

I also found it very hard to believe that Dean wouldn't know that Meg's nickname for Castiel was a reference to "It's A Wonderful Life." One of my biggest pet peeves is when a writer feels the need to make a character uncharacteristically dumb (especially a character as pop-culture savvy as Dean) just to service exposition, particularly exposition that doesn't actually need to be explained. It does a disservice to both the characters and the audience. I recall that the same writers, Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming, did something similar last season when they had Sam explain what a witch's familiar was to Dean. You're on notice, writers!

Overall, "I'm No Angel" was an uneven but ultimately gripping hour thanks to a powerhouse performance from Collins, the introduction of a new faction of angels and further suspicion cast on Ezekiel's intentions. I just hope that the writers have a satisfying plan for Castiel that doesn't leave Dean and Sam looking heartless next week.

"Supernatural" airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.

What did you think of "I'm No Angel"? Do you trust Ezekiel? Weigh in below!

]]>'Awkward' Season 3: Cast Talks Show's Return, Jenna's Dark Side And Impending Break-Upstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-10-22T13:51:53-04:002013-10-22T14:53:35-04:00Laura Prudomhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/Awkward" returns with its final 10 episodes of Season 3 (Tues., Oct. 22 at 10:30 p.m. ET on MTV), life is going to get even more difficult for Jenna Hamilton (Ashley Rickards).

The midseason finale ended with our heroine locking lips with her new crush, Collin (Nolan Funk), but did current boyfriend Matty (Beau Mirchoff) see the smooch?

"The premiere show really picks up where we left off … We don't know what Matty saw or what Matty knows, so even beyond what Jenna's next move is, we still have to figure out what everyone else has really seen," Rickards told HuffPost TV at a recent press junket for the show. "It'll be interesting to try and figure out some reactions, let alone what to do next."

Judging by the promo for the show's return, Matty is oblivious about Jenna's cheating ways -- at least at first: "He knows something's amiss; she's been acting very strange and kind of distant," Mirchoff noted. "Matty's very naive but there comes a point where it's like, 'okay, things aren't quite adding up.' I can notice if a girl's acting a little different, but I don't expect it's me -- I never go 'oh, she's cheating on me,' I don't go there. This is Matty's first relationship, he's never experienced the hardships of a relationship or deceitfulness, and he has no reason to expect [it]."

Two people who aren't oblivious are Jenna's BFF, Tamara (Jillian Rose Reed), and her nemesis, Sadie (Molly Tarlov). Sadly, Jenna's indiscretion doesn't just affect her own relationship, it will also strain Tamara's: "It's really hard. Tamara is in the middle of this tense situation because Jenna is her best friend -- she obviously wants to keep those secrets and not ruin her life, but she's dating Jake [Brett Davern], who's Matty's best friend, and how can she not tell her boyfriend all of this crazy stuff and help Matty?" Reed lamented. "It's a difficult place that she's in and when Jake does find out about these secrets that Tamara's known about for a while he does get really mad, which is understandable, so it will test their relationship."

Sadie, meanwhile, smells blood in the water, and our resident mean girl has no interest in supporting Jenna -- Tarlov admitted that her only priority is Matty. "It's always Sadie's goal to humiliate Jenna; she's doing it for herself at this point. But I think this takes it to a new level because Sadie loves Matty and they have such a nice relationship and a true friendship and they've known each other for so long. Sadie has been abandoned by her family -- Matty is the only true friend she has, so there is legit protection going on, and she's mad."

But despite Jenna's protestations in the promo that the kiss with Collin meant nothing, Rickards admitted that there's a real spark between them. "What she sees in Collin is something she hasn't seen before, it's that simple," she explained. "That's exactly what she's doing this season, she's becoming somebody that we haven't seen before, and that's just part of growing up -- making potentially the wrong choice to know what the right one is. Trial and error."

That trial and error is set to drive a wedge between Jenna and her friends, but Rickards admitted that she's "super excited to delve into this new darker place -- to be able to take a character that, for the past few seasons, has been so normal and under the radar to this really interesting, complicated place is such an exciting venture."

She added, "Her and her friends' relationships are definitely going to be put to the test -- we're going to see her make some good decisions and some bad decisions. Maybe learning from mistakes isn't so obvious as seeing the mistake and not doing it again. Sometimes you've got to fall down a few times before you get a bruise."

"Awkward" airs Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. ET on MTV.

Are you rooting for Jenna and Matty, or do you want to see her try things with Collin?

Elsewhere in the episode, titled "Let's Be Mad Together," Max’s (Max Burkholder) photography knows no bounds while Joel (Sam Jaeger) struggles for boundaries with Peet (Sonya Walger). Adam (Peter Krause) and Crosby (Dax Shepard) too must set boundaries with the band for the betterment of their new business. Meanwhile Julia (Erika Christensen) and Camille (Bonnie Bedelia) have something in common that does not make them happy. And Sarah talks toe-to-toe with Ryan (Matt Lauria) and Amber (Mae Whitman).

Are you looking forward to Thursday's "Parenthood"? What's your favorite part of Season 5 so far?

]]>'Once Upon A Time' Recap: Rumple Struggles To Break His 'Nasty Habits'tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.41343662013-10-21T00:36:08-04:002014-01-23T18:58:21-05:00Laura Prudomhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/Note: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 3, Episode 4 of ABC's "Once Upon a Time," titled "Nasty Habits."

This week's installment was a Rumplestiltskin-focused hour, taking us back to the Fairytale Land That Was to show the further erosion of Rumple's relationship with Baelfire, as well as hinting at a history between Rumple and Peter Pan that stretches back even further than we might've guessed.

While the hour offered a few intriguing character insights, it also felt like we were treading water just to kill time. Emma, Hook and the gang were no closer to finding Henry at the end of the hour than they were at the beginning; Neal succeeded in rescuing his son only to lose him again (with Henry none the wiser); and Rumple was still wandering alone in the jungle, haunted by his mistakes.

Instead of actually showing us Rumple's past with Peter, the episode merely teased it, and all "Nasty Habits" really served to do was emphasize that Neal doesn't trust his father, something that was already patently obvious without needing further evidence of Rumple's questionable parenting skills. Episodes like "Nasty Habits" illustrate why many shows would benefit from being 13 episodes per season instead of 22, meaning less "filler" is required before the story is allowed to progress. For Neal to have come so close to rescuing Henry only to have him snatched away again was needlessly frustrating, as was Charming's decision to once again hide the seriousness of his condition from Snow and Emma, even after being given an opportunity to come clean.

There were a couple of things the episode did well, of course: Learning that Rumple and Pan grew up together was an interesting tidbit (as was the fact that Peter betrayed the imp first at some point) which explains why he knows so much about Rumple's weaknesses and his insecurities about his absent father. Likewise, it was a clever touch to make Peter the Pied Piper (should we just abbreviate to "Peter Piper"?), given the character's affinity for piping and hanging out with missing kids. It seems that Pan always had a penchant for kidnapping his friends, and it was a smart choice to note that only children who felt neglected or unloved could hear Pan's pipes, making it even more heartbreaking that Henry began hearing the tune at the end of the hour, having come so close and yet still so far from reuniting with his father. Michael Raymond-James and Robert Carlyle did a great job with the material they were given, fully selling the agony of all the years and misunderstandings between them, along with Rumple's joy at Neal's survival, while Robbie Kay continued to hold his own against more seasoned actors as Pan.

Last week's episode felt like it struck a better balance of juggling multiple storylines in a compelling way, and sidelining Emma and her superfriends in a cave for the entire episode felt like a misstep -- Rumple's story wasn't compelling enough to fill out the hour, and it would've been nice to have seen a little forward momentum on at least one of the arcs, instead of repeating the same beats we've seen before. Luckily, next week's installment promises to shed more light on Hook's past, which is an area still mostly unexplored.

"Once Upon a Time" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

What did you think of "Nasty Habits"?

]]>'How I Met Your Mother': James Van Der Beek Returns For Final Seasontag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-10-18T19:28:32-04:002013-10-18T19:45:09-04:00Laura Prudomhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/
He'll reprise his role as Simon, Robin's (Cobie Smulders) ex-boyfriend, in the 12th episode of Season 9, titled "Bedtime Stories." Van Der Beek broke the news of his return via Twitter, after posting an instagram photo of the "HIMYM" script.

]]>Drunk Mellie Makes 'Scandal' Star Bellamy Young Our Scene-Stealer Of The Weektag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-10-18T17:30:40-04:002013-10-18T17:31:02-04:00Laura Prudomhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/Scandal" (Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET) is consistently packed with stellar performances and jaw-dropping moments, so it's no surprise that Shonda Rhimes' political drama was the first series that came to mind when debuting our new weekly feature, HuffPost TV's Scene-Stealer of the Week. Every Friday, we'll throw the spotlight on one memorable scene that stood out to us from the past seven days of TV, and the performer who stole the show.

Our inaugural nominee is Bellamy Young, whose drunken take on "Scandal's" steely First Lady, Mellie Grant, provided a hilarious and heartbreaking punctuation point to an already riveting hour. In this scene, Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) found his wife drunk on hooch, celebrating Olivia Pope's (Kerry Washington) survival -- since she knew that seeing her rival martyred would only increase her husband's idolatry. "As long as she's still alive, she's your flaw, your Achilles heel ... Which makes her my weapon," Mellie purred. "She's the strings that, if need be, I will pull to make my puppet husband dance." Chills!

Here's why Young got our vote this week:

Laura Prudom: Mellie is a fascinatingly multifaceted character: self-assured enough to know that she's spectacular (which she is), but naive enough to believe that she's actually an equal opponent in her imagined war with Olivia Pope (which she isn't). Olivia may always have Fitz's heart, but even when her intentions are villainous, it's hard to resist Bellamy Young's masterful transformation from sloppy and giggly to icy and calculating all in the space of three minutes.

Chris Harnick: Bellamy Young plays jilted and crazy so well, she's frighteningly good as First Lady Mellie Grant. She took that a step further this week in "Mrs. Smith Goes to Washington," stealing an episode full of great performances with one simple act of drunkenness.

Maggie Furlong: A drunk First Lady's words are a sober First Lady's thoughts, and Mellie laid it all out on the table this week -- thanks to her daddy's hillbilly hooch -- going from vulnerable to evil to bitter and back again with jaw-dropping perfection from Bellamy Young.

But Young wasn't the only one that left us transfixed this week -- our runner-up is her "Scandal" co-star Guillermo Diaz, whose raw and visceral performance as Huck is one of the most consistently compelling parts of the show. This week, after discovering that Olivia's father, Rowan (Joe Morton), is the head of the covert B613 agency that stole Huck's freedom and sanity, our former assassin was out for revenge. The below scene between Diaz and Washington was gut-wrenching to watch, illustrating just how powerful a threat Rowan is to all our characters.

Do you agree with our pick for Scene-Stealer of the Week, or did another performer stand out for you over the past seven days? Share your choice below!

]]>'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Gets Full Season Pickup From Fox, Post-Super Bowl Slot With 'New Girl'tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-10-18T17:21:53-04:002013-10-18T17:34:48-04:00Laura Prudomhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/
The network has given a back-nine order to "Brooklyn," bringing it to 22 episodes in its freshman season. The Andy Samberg/Andre Braugher comedy will also be paired with "New Girl" for a "special one-hour comedy event," set to air immediately following the Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014.

“It’s exciting to see that both critics and fans love 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' as much as we do,” said Fox Entertainment Chairman Kevin Reilly. “With Andy and Andre out in front of this incredible ensemble, it feels like this show is going to be around for a long time.”

When including DVR and VOD playback plus streaming, the series premiere of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" has drawn a total audience of more than 14.6 million, according to Fox. Through five telecasts, the comedy is averaging a 2.1 rating in the adults 18-49 demo with 4.9 million total viewers,

]]>'Once Upon A Time': 'Nasty Habits' Sees Emma Learn More About Hook And Neal's Past (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-10-17T12:00:32-04:002013-10-17T12:00:41-04:00Laura Prudomhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/Once Upon a Time" saw Neal (Michael Raymond-James) return to Neverland in the hopes of reuniting with Emma (Jennifer Morrison) and Henry (Jared Gilmore) -- but that may be easier said than done. In the Oct. 20 episode, "Nasty Habits," Neal will once again find himself in the clutches of the Lost Boys, while Emma, Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) and the rest of our favorites continue the search for Henry and a way to defeat Peter Pan (Robbie Kay).

In HuffPost TV's exclusive sneak peek, above, our heroes and villains stumble upon one of Neal's old hideouts, inadvertently giving Emma further insight into Hook's surprising relationship with her ex, back when he was still going by Baelfire. Another highlight of the clip? More of Regina's (Lana Parrilla) scene-stealing snark. Is it Sunday yet?

Check out the episode description for "Nasty Habits" below:

Mr. Gold makes a decision to confront Pan, but will he go there to save Henry or give in to the prophecy that the boy will be his undoing? Neal finds himself back in Neverland and in the custody of one of Pan’s most loyal Lost Boys. And David struggles for his life as the poison continues to take its toll on him. Meanwhile, in the Fairy Tale Land that was, Rumplestiltskin goes in search of a missing Bae, who has followed a mysterious figure who steals away children with his music.

"Once Upon a Time" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

]]>'Covert Affairs': Annie Is 'Dead,' Piper Perabo Previews New Dark Mission & Separation From Auggietag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-10-17T10:49:04-04:002013-10-17T10:49:22-04:00Laura Prudomhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/"Covert Affairs" returns to finish Season 4 on its new night, Thurs., Oct. 17 at 10 p.m. ET, and the final six episodes kick off with Annie Walker (Piper Perabo) as we've never seen her before: a brunette and "dead."

After faking her death to better investigate the nefarious Henry Wilcox (Gregory Itzin), Annie will be off the grid and out of contact with her allies at the CIA -- some of whom don't even know that her shootout with Calder Michaels (Hill Harper) was faked.

"I was shocked that not everyone knew, I couldn't believe that we weren't gonna tell everybody," Perabo told reporters during a recent interview in Los Angeles. "That puts incredible strain between the four that are left behind, because some know and some don't, and those that do have slightly differing opinions on whether to reach out or not."

One DPD operative who thankfully is aware of Annie's new status is her handler and her on/off boyfriend, Auggie (Chris Gorham), although as we saw in the midseason finale, "he's not happy about it and he thinks it was the wrong play ... it's a pretty big decision to make if your partner's not down for it," Perabo laughed. "They have to be out of contact … their relationship is based on, no matter what's going wrong for her, she can call him and get him, so to not be able to get him … she doesn't always make great decisions without him. She's a little too impulsive."

Perabo pointed out that Auggie now has to "play his part against his better judgment," acting as if he's lost Annie for the benefit of the rest of the DPD. The actress praised Gorham's performance in Episode 10, noting, "[After Annie plans to fake her death] you can see the helpless moment with Auggie, which is really rare ... Auggie is so strong; so trustworthy; so secure; so good -- so when you see him out of control, it's really scary ... I know it affects Auggie in the back six [episodes] to have this thing that he can't control or help with."

Annie's new status means that Auggie can't make contact, but someone close to him can: his wife, Helen (Michelle Ryan), whom he previously believed was dead after she, too, faked her own death to begin operating as a dark agent for Arthur (Peter Gallagher).

"Because she's also dark, she can get to Annie, so that intensifies the triangle more, not necessarily in a good way," Perabo laughed. "When you fake your own death, that your boyfriend's ex-girlfriend can come find you is not awesome, so Helen starts to play a big part."

"Dark" is the operative word for the final six episodes of Season 4 -- the show will take a murkier turn right along with Annie's hair color.

"It gets pretty dark," Perabo admitted. "Even in the locations; emotionally; physically; the danger, all of it gets … she has to operate from almost a criminal point of view, because she doesn't have the sanction of the CIA, and what she's doing, she knows how to do but she doesn't really have permission to do any of this. So you're meeting up with more nefarious people and putting yourself in compromising situations. As always with Annie, the balance is to keep her ethical core there." Perabo promised that Annie doesn't just "become a psycho" because she's out in the cold, it's more a matter of exploring "if you were in this position, how would you function, and how much is too much? Where do you draw the line when nobody's looking?"

The actress also previewed that her new mission will change Annie emotionally "in a giant way, because she's on the run and she doesn't have the support of the CIA. It almost brings you back to rookie status ... She only has herself to rely on, she's out there in the dark. She does have some assets that she's cultivated through seasons past that perhaps she could reach out to, if she trusts them enough to tell them what's going on and if they would help her. Those doors may be open, but it's great mix of giving Annie the experience, but also no net."

That "criminal point of view" will be demonstrated in how Annie approaches the new problems she's facing, and Perabo admitted that her character will be following the examples set by less obedient agents like Teo (Manolo Cardona) and Calder. "Things that she saw them do ... ways she saw them behave in terms of what they did to people ... she ends up behaving like them, those are her examples of strong guys who get it done no matter what," Perabo said. "It gets kinda dark. Not just the hair. The hair's a total metaphor -- when Annie's hair goes blonde again, you'll know everything's gonna be fine."

"Covert Affairs" airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on USA.

Are you excited for Annie's darker turn? How do you think she'll take Henry down? Weigh in below!

]]>'Arrow': Stephen Amell Previews 'Identity,' Sebastian Blood, Black Canary And Trouble On The Islandtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-10-16T15:33:29-04:002013-10-16T15:33:32-04:00Laura Prudomhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/
When asked to preview the action-packed hour, "Arrow" star Stephen Amell said, "As big in scope as the season premiere was, in a lot of ways it was a reset; here is where the characters are now; here’s where Laurel is, and Lance, and Moira, and Thea. Now that we’ve set everyone up in their positions, we really start to explore where those characters are now. So you get to see version 2.0 of the 'Arrow' team, which is an interesting thing, and we get our first sense of where our story’s going to take us on the island this year ... we hit the ground running in Episode 2."

Of Oliver's new rival, executive producer Andrew Kreisberg teased, "One of the things that I think was so successful last season was that, Malcolm Merlyn, played by John Barrowman, everything he was saying was actually right. It was just his methods that were wrong ... And Sebastian Blood is very similar in that sense that he has goals; he feels that there is injustice in the city; he feels like the poor people in the city were abandoned long before the earthquake, and that they’ve never gotten a fair shake, and that the wealthy and the elite of the city have stood on the of necks the lower class of the city and they’re not letting up. And that’s kind of what Oliver is seeing too."

He added, "We tend to shy away from mustache twirling, crazy villains that want to blow things up just to satisfy some sickness inside of them. The heroes and villains sort of have the same goal, they just go about it different ways. We find that that’s where the most drama comes from and makes the most exciting characters. I think that’s why we’re really excited about Kevin Alejandro joining the show this year because he brings such … this might sound odd, but heroism to being the villain."

For more on Blood, Oliver's tribulations on the island and the introduction of Black Canary, read on for our conversation with Amell.

Oliver meets Sebastian Blood in this week's episode. Blood and Oliver ostensibly have the same goal, but he can't seem to speak publicly without undermining Oliver. Does Oliver see him as an ally, or is he recognizing him as a potential threat?
Well, for the first time in his life, he is concerned about what the public’s perception of him as Oliver Queen, just a regular guy, is -- because it used to be Robert as the face of the family, and then it was Moira, and now, by default, it’s him, and he’s found the family name tarnished. So he’s interested in working with Sebastian simply from the standpoint of, they do have the same goals; they do seem interested in cleaning up the city, and there’s no threat there. If he can be helpful, let’s let him be helpful.

Roy (Colton Haynes) met the Black Canary (Caity Lotz) -- or someone who looked suspiciously like her -- at the end of the premiere, but what can you preview about the Arrow's first meeting with her, whenever that takes place?
Arrow and Black Canary are going to meet sooner rather than later, and it’s a good partnership when it happens.

There are obviously a lot of villains coming into the city, and this season it seems that there are also a lot of new heroes trying to make Starling City their base. What's Oliver's take on the competition on both sides?
I think that Oliver doesn’t actually want any heroes or villains. Ideally, he would like Starling City to be a place that doesn’t need heroes, because it’s a safe place, but clearly that’s not the state that it’s in at the moment. He’s more than willing to deal with the villains, but he is just as leery of heroes, because everybody wants something, and even if your cause is virtuous, you’re going to be someone that he has to deal with.

Will we hear about other cities experiencing this increase in heroic activity, or is it very centered on Starling City right now?
We’re centered on Starling City at the moment. We have referenced Central City in the pilot, we hit on Bludhaven last year, but everything is pretty localized in Starling City right now, and it has to be because the city is in such bad shape.

Since Shado (Celina Jade) joined Oliver and Slade (Manu Bennett) on the island, we've seen the tension growing between them as the dynamic shifts. Are we going to kind of see more of a strain developing between the three of them in the flashbacks?
Yeah, trouble is coming to the island. If you think back to the first season, you think about Oliver’s first moments of arriving on the island, and being so helpless, and being shot by an arrow from Yao Fei, that sort of set in motion his journey for the first season on the island. Meanwhile, to start this season, we see him essentially lose his mind, black out, and murder a guy with a rock. So it’s not the most promising start for Oliver, but it’s indicative of where things are going to go on the island this year. They are getting dark and nasty.

You've completed filming on the episode that introduces Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) -- who will someday become The Flash -- what can you preview about that character and how he enters Oliver's world?
It’s a very tough spot for Grant because he comes in in Episode 8, and it is, for all intents and purposes, his episode, and he has the most dialogue, and it’s very tricky dialogue, at that, and the best way to put it is he took ownership of it. He’s done a really fantastic job, absolutely owns the character, and he’s taken ownership of it without being demonstrative. It’s like he’s always been on set with us, and he’s part of the family now, and I’m very excited to ...I don’t know a lot -- and this is purposefully on my part -- I don’t know a lot about The Flash, in terms of other iterations of that character, on television or in the comic books, so I’m interested to see how long-time fans of The Flash react, but fans of our show are going to really enjoy Grant’s work.

Personality-wise, how does his temperament or philosophy differ from Oliver's?
Well, he’s younger. He’s more innocent, and he’s Barry Allen, but concurrently, he is haunted by events with his parents, and he is on a mission because of those events. So he’s going about it a very different way, but there are a lot of similarities to the Oliver that we saw from Season 1, and the Barry Allen that we’re going to see in Episodes 8 and 9.

Episode 5 is called "League of Assassins," which is very meaningful for comic book fans, what can you tease about that?
That we should win the Emmy for stunts and fight choreography in that episode. It is the most action-packed episode that we’ve had on the show. The fighting is unbelievable, and the people that we have playing the members of the League of Assassins just knock it out of the park. But that episode, it might be my favorite episode of the series so far, because so much stuff is going on, and we are starting to see something that we have yet to see in the series, which is elements of the island and elements of the present day beginning to intersect with one another. It’s good. The DC Universe is exploding on the screen. It’s fantastic.

We’re meeting Dr. Ivo (Dylan Neal) in the episode, so how is he going to compare to the comic version of the character?
Dylan’s a great guy. I had no idea that Dylan was on "Dawson’s Creek," actually, until my Twitter exploded with fans of that show. I don’t know a lot about the Ivo character from the comics, and I’ve sheltered myself from that until we get one of those characters. I like to have the impression of that character based on the version that we see on our show, but Dylan definitely fills the room up. He’s an outsize character, and he’s a very, very convincing villain.

Episode 6 will introduce Amanda Waller (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) and I believe also the beginnings of the Suicide Squad -- what can you preview about that story?
One of the things that I like about our show is we introduce Amanda Waller, and we speak about A.R.G.U.S. but it’s a very brief mention, and I get the sense that we are saving the A.R.G.U.S. interactions for the latter part of the season. But there is one really quite startling admission that Amanda Waller makes in her first scene, in Episode 6, that when you look at our second season in totality, and then subsequent seasons of the show, this one admission that she makes is going to be a big-time game changer.

In the comics, Deadshot (Michael Rowe) is a member of the Suicide Squad, and Diggle (David Ramsey) still has a vendetta against him for the murder of his brother. Will we see a resolution with their story in upcoming episodes?
He’s always going to hate Deadshot, but we are going to see him have a choice to make with respect to that, and he finally does choose.

The verbal sparring between Oliver and Isabel Rochev that we saw in the premiere was fantastic; what's coming up between them now that they've been forced into this business partnership?
Well, forced is the operative word. Isabel has been a very interesting character, because I think they would be wrong to assume that she’s a villain at the moment. I know that it’s been written several times that Summer Glau playing new villain on Arrow, and I don’t think that’s totally accurate. She’s an interesting character to do scenes with because this is a version of Oliver that we haven’t really seen. He’s not masquerading as a CEO, he’s literally, legitimately trying to save a failing company. Queen Consolidated means a lot to him. He grew up in that office. So Isabel is trying to help him, but she has no faith in him at the moment. So he has to win her over, and he’s not good at it.

"Arrow" airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.

What did you think of the "Arrow" season premiere? Which DC Comics character are you most looking forward to seeing on the show? Weigh in below!

The show premieres via Hulu and Hulu Plus on November 11, and HuffPost TV has an exclusive first look at the comedy's US artwork, below, which illustrates the series' playful, offbeat tone.

"The Wrong Mans" centers on Sam (Baynton), and Phil (Corden), two lowly office workers who become caught up in a deadly criminal conspiracy after Sam discovers a ringing phone at the scene of a horrific car crash. Answering this phone turns his world upside down, as he and Phil soon realize it's up to them to step up and save the day. Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, with the wrong skills, they are "The Wrong Mans."